Planning a route to get away could not be easier. Travellers will be able to decide on their route in advance and avoid the traffic hotspots. In addition, each time they take a break they will be able to check on the traffic ahead. By simply keying in details of their journey they will receive information on where the jams are and can take evasive action.

Charles Stewart, Business Manager for Geographic Information at the AA, said: "We are always searching for new applications to allow the AA's traffic and travel information database to be seen in as many different formats as our customers need.

"Through my02 we are able to provide the unique content of AA Route Planner optimised for the XDA, giving users the flexibility to plan their route in advance but to check for traffic updates whilst taking a break from their journey."

Amer Hasan, Data Products Manager at O2 explained the benefits of myO2: "The AA's service on myO2 is an industry first for wireless PDA's and is only available on the O2 xda. We know that people regularly use these types of branded services to manage their lives better. Using myO2's technology, the AA service is easy to use, personalised and interactive. It is a great example of a leading content provider, wireless device and mobile operator collectively enabling users to interact with content in a way they never could before."

The AA's provision of Route Planner and Roadwatch services on myO2 provide up to the minute traffic updates, incorporating the latest Floating Vehicle Data technology from ITIS Holdings plc, route & mapping information at faster speeds, and employs less data than when using standard PDA web browsers. Information from Route Planner and Roadwatch can be stored on the device or emailed to friends or colleagues direct from the xda.

In addition myO2 boasts news, weather and email, with further high quality applications expected to launch soon. All myO2 services are specifically designed to interact with the other applications available on the xda, such as email, calendar and phone book.

myO2 is incredibly user-friendly. Its personalisable interface minimises data entry and remembers a user's preferences. It also adopts a device-based approach to obtaining information - requests can be compiled offline using information stored on the device and instantly processed once online. The information obtained then resides on the device which means it can be browsed at leisure even when offline.

The technology behind myO2 is provided by Action Engine's Mobile Web Services Platform, which deploys easy to use web services and data on smart mobile devices. Action Engine uses a browserless approach which does not require a constant network connection. Instead the software is embedded directly onto the device, resulting in a faster, more user-friendly experience.

myO2 is free to all subscribers, and comes pre-installed on the xda. Users only pay for the data incurred in setting up and using the services.